For younger players, a spell away can bring them vital first-team experience and minutes on the pitch.

Out-of-favour players can use the time to stay match-fit and play themselves back into form and their manager's plans.

Japanese players can also move to another country in order to adapt to European culture and sit on the bench twiddling their thumbs, although that's a bit niche.

Leeds United have a total of seven players out on loan at the moment, who all more or less fit into one of the above categories.

This magnificent seven are having a mixed time at the various clubs this season, but as they all enter the final weeks of their current loan arrangements, who has taken the opportunity to impress and play themselves into next season's plans?

Yosuke Ideguchi

The Japan international has been mainly restricted to benchwarming duties

The Japanese midfielder is Leeds' most high-profile loan star this season - but not necessarily for the right reasons.

Signed from Gamba Osaka in January, the Japan international was immediately loaned out to Cultural Leonesa, who have so far limited him to one start (when he was subbed at half-time) and a handful of appearances off the bench.

The 21-year-old was loaned out with the intention of getting him some experience in European football, but that's not really happening and he now risks missing out on his place in Japan's World Cup squad.

With all that going on, it's hard to get a gauge on his prospects for next season, as the only real sustained evidence we have of his ability is from the J-League six months ago.

When Leeds moved to sign him in January it was off the back of some impressive performances for the Japan national team, but the worry will now be that an extended spell on the sidelines will have affected his performance on the pitch.

Lewie Coyle

Lewie Coyle has had a good season at Fleetwood (Image: Pete Norton/Getty Images)

Coyle has spent the season on loan at Fleetwood, and despite the Cod Army's problems this season, the 22-year-old has impressed, picking up a host of man-of-the-match awards in recent weeks.

He has shown that he is a more-than capable Football League right-back and had Leeds taken up the rumoured recall option in January, he would have likely found himself handed opportunities, given the side's problems with injury and suspension at the back in 2018.

At 22, Coyle is approaching now or never-time in terms of his Leeds United career, but with Luke Ayling coming back to fitness and the rumours linking the club with Andy Yiadom, he may have again look elsewhere for minutes next season. Is under contract until 2020.

Mateusz Klich

Klich can still have a future at Leeds (Image: Leeds United)

Klich was sent on loan to FC Utrecht in January after failing to really feature under Thomas Christiansen.

While he may now have wished he had stayed put, given the Dane's departure, he has enjoyed an excellent loan spell so far in Holland, playing every game and leading Utrecht's push for a finish in the European places.

Leeds are crying out for a midfielder to slot in next to Adam Forshaw and Klich could be handed the chance to impress Heckingbottom in pre-season and carve out a role in his squad for next season.

Mallik Wilks

Wilks still has time on his side (Image: Leeds United)

The 19-year-old has just come back from a six-week spell on the treatment table which has disrupted his time at Grimsby Town, but performed well in the Mariners' 4-0 defeat to Coventry City upon his return last weekend.

That injury has meant that Wilks will not have got all he would have hoped for from his time out on loan, but the teenager still has time on his side.

Next season will likely see either another loan stint in the lower leagues, or a campaign primarily featuring in the Under-23s in order to continue his development.

Liam Kitching

The 19-year-old centre-back has had an excellent spell at Harrogate Town, who are vying for promotion to the Conference. Was handed a squad number and a place on the bench for Leeds in their FA Cup match with Newport County, but did not get to feature (Samu Saiz came off the bench instead, and we all know how that panned out).

It would be a big jump to take him from the Conference North right to the Championship with Leeds United, so a loan move in the Football League could be beneficial next season.

Marcus Antonsson

Marcus Antonsson will struggle to win his place back in the Leeds side (Image: Pete Norton/Getty Images)

The Swede will have a year left on his deal at Leeds when he returns to Elland Road in the summer and his prospects of getting back into the first-team seem slim.

He has shown flashes of his ability at Blackburn this season, but with Heckingbottom looking to focus on quality over quantity in the summer, the 26-year-old may find it hard to win a place in the Leeds first-team squad next year. A move away from the club appears likely.

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Luke Murphy

Currently at Burton Albion, where he has been in and out of the team, it's hard to envisage the central midfielder turning out in a Leeds shirt again. Has a year left on his deal, but is surely surplus to requirements.

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